Got Lucky Drawers?

Boyd Duckett always wears red shoes.

“Any luck?” is usually the second question anglers field when they return from a fishing trip (“Where have you been?” perhaps being the first). There are Luck-E-Strike and Lucky Craft lure companies. Lucky 13 is a classic lure that can be found in my tackle box. And “luck” or “superstitions” were part of the 20 Questions series posed to Bassmaster tournament anglers.

Hank Parker, when asked if he had superstitions answered, “None at all.” Shaw Grigsby simply said, “Nope.” Alton Jones went so far as to respond, “I’m not superstitious. I love eating bananas before tournaments and tossing the peels around for fun.”

3) “No, but I always…”

Kevin VanDam is not superstitious but always has his wife’s cookies at tournaments. Dean Rojas carries a duck decoy on his boat where his batteries are but he’s “not superstitious or anything.” A charter boat in Hawaii washes each lure with soap and water between ono. “Just something we always do,” a shrugging crew member shared.

I probably fall into the latter category. Though grounded with a background in fisheries courses, I certainly have noticed some tendencies when fishing. If several poles are in use by a fishing party, the biggest fish will be caught on the lightest tackle. A good way to lose a fish is to “choose” the minnow; only take “volunteers.” And, if you are fishing with me, never, never say, “just one more.”

Some things are just not worth the risk.

Andy Whitcomb is a columnist, outdoor humorist, and stressed-out Dad living in Oklahoma. Visit him at www.justkeepreeling.com.